Cliff Roberts

Cliff was born high on the hill at the old Rockglen Red Cross Hospital in January 1941. He left us to live on another plane November 8, 2022 at the age of 81. Cliff attended Rockglen School from grades one through twelve, and then headed off to Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan for a year. However, the world of academics was not for him and in 1960, he enlisted in the RCAF where he became a radio navigator, flying anti-submarine patrols off Canada’s west coast with the 407 Demons at 19 Wing in Comox, BC. He married his wife, Liz, in 1963. Together, they returned to Rockglen, and except for a brief spell in Port Coquitlam, BC, they lived the rest of their lives in or near Cliff’s hometown.

From an early age, machines were a part of Cliff’s life. He often recalled helping the drayman deliver rail freight all around town on a horse-pulled wagon. At the age of three, he was banned from the Imperial Garage owned by his dad, Walter, because of his penchant for trying to drive their tractors. If he crossed the railroad tracks on his way to the garage, Scotty Brown —an employee at the garage — would intercept him and send him home.

Cars and speed were his first loves. When he joined the RCAF, he purchased his first car, a green Corvair. He never heeded the claim that they were dangerous, because he purchased a second one two years later. Most of his working life was spent negotiating machinery and car sales for the four-line GM dealership owned by his family. He could tell the history of the town by recalling who was driving what car or when he had sold a specific vehicle to someone. In fact, he could win arguments with his “car sense” which was unfailingly accurate. On the side, he farmed for both himself and his father.

Cliff always valued family above all else. However, the garage and family often didn’t mesh. Family “outings” were often actually trips to someone’s farm to look at a “trade-in” or evaluate a piece of machinery. Imperial Garage was sold in the late eighties, but Cliff continued to farm until his retirement in 2009.

He disliked several things in his life for which he became well-known in family circles. He hated chicken, fish, turkey and snow, but he loved liver and onions, potato chips, winter trips to Arizona or Maui, and hockey. He seldom missed a senior’s game in either Rockglen or Assiniboia. No matter how bitter the weather, he would make the trip to the rink.

In 2003, while on vacation in Maui, he learned from his doctor in Regina that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, in true “farmer form” he put off surgery until October in order to put in and harvest that year’s crop. The diagnosis would haunt him for the remainder of his life. Despite these difficulties, he lived his life to the fullest.

An added diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease in 2015 added to the difficulties he managed. It manifested itself mainly with a form of dementia, which he faced head-on and handled with good humour and determination. He was never afraid to discuss his symptoms openly and never allowed them to rule his life. Humour was the way he dealt with most problems he faced which made life easier for all those around him.

He was a reserved person and didn’t openly show his emotions. His actions demonstrated his feelings. His kids never came home without having their cars thoroughly checked, their oil topped up, and their gas tanks filled. He read every letter or e-mail dealing with his grandchildren with interest and always had a comment to pass on. He supported his wife in many community activities over the years, and even drove her back and forth to evening and weekend classes so she could complete her university degree.

There is so much more to a life that spanned eighty-one years than can be captured in a brief obituary. The memories Cliff created will live on in those of us he left behind; his sense of humour will be talked about and laughed at; his caring will be reflected in the way his family continues to care for one another.

We could never have reached this point in our lives without the kindness and support of many people. We would like to thank the doctors, nurses and technicians at the Allan Blair Cancer Clinic for their years of care. Special thanks to Dr. Carulei and his staff for their compassionate kindness, especially in the past difficult year. We cannot say enough about the support and care given to Cliff in his last days by Nadine Stevenson - Palliative Care Coordinator; Alyssa Willis and the Home Care staff; and the devoted nurses at the Assiniboia Union Hospital. We thank you all most sincerely.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you help support Cliff’s lifelong passion for amateur hockey with a donation to: Rockglen Community Rinks, c/o April Ellis, Box 328, Rockglen, SK S0H 3R0 or via e-transfer through [email protected].

Cliff is survived by his wife Liz, son Eric (Patricia) and granddaughter Bronwyn; daughter Kirsten (Darren) Bates and grandchildren Zachery, Abbey and Alexandra and great-granddaughter Collins; sisters Dorothy Kimball, Barbara Bergen (Gary) and Glenda Norman. He is also survived by in-laws Barbara Davis, Beverley and Pat Fung; Doug and Kathy Sproule, Rob Sproule and Diane Leitold; Sharon and Dallas Heagy, as well as numerous much-loved nieces, nephews and cousins.

He is predeceased by his parents, Walter and Edna Roberts (Rockglen), his brother Lorne (Medicine Hat), in-laws Ron and Betty Sproule (Winnipeg), brothers-in-law Ron (Burnaby), Gord (Findlater, SK).

A private family celebration of life for Cliff will be held at Faith Harvest Church, Rockglen, SK Saturday, November 12, 2022 with Dallas Heagy presiding. Following the private family celebration of life will be a community fellowship and lunch from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM at Drop-In-Centre. Interment at the Rockglen Cemetery. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.rossfuneralservice.com for the Roberts family.